Stallone Back as Rocky for Spinoff Following Apollo Creed's Grandson

The Italian Stallion will return! Sylvester Stallone will reportedly reprise his iconic role as Rocky Balboa in an MGM spinoff set to focus on the grandson of Apollo Creed, Rocky's opponent-turned-best friend.

Fruitvale Station director Ryan Coogler will helm the film, titled Creed, with his leading man from that film, Chronicle's Michael B. Jordan, set to play the title role. Coogler will also script Creed with Aaron Covington. Coogler intends this to be his next film so expect things to move along quickly on this project's development.

Deadline has the following synopsis for the film: "Raised in an upper-crust home thanks to the ring riches earned by his grandfather, the young man doesn’t have to box and his family doesn’t want him to. Yet, he has the natural instinct and gifts and potential that made his grandfather the heavyweight champion until Rocky Balboa took his crown in 1979′s Rocky II. Creed’s grandson needs a mentor and turns to Balboa, who is out of boxing completely and not eager to return."

You may recall that Apollo Creed was slain in the ring by Ivan Drago in Rocky IV.